Safety elevator system.



W. T. DUNFGRD.

SAFETY ELEVATOR SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR`25.1915.

Paented Feb. 11, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

n1: nomas uns ce, momuma., wAsnmnwN, aA c.

W. T. DUNFORD.

SAFETY ELEVATOR SYSTEM.

APPLlcATIoN FILED MAR. 25. 1915,

Paented Feb. l1, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEE 2A 35g 44: @Moena 13 STATES PATENT FFQE.

WILLIAM T. DUNEORD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 SHURLOC ELEVATOR SAFETY COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

SAFETY ELEVATOR SYSTEM.

Application filed March 25, 1915.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it know-11 that I, VILLLAM T.' DUNroRD, a citizen of the United Sta-tes, vresiding in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Elevator Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to safety elevator systems for preventing starting of the car While the landing door oppositethe car is open or open 'beyond a predetermined locked position. An object is to provide a mechanism which is very simple and inexpensive, readily applied, conveniently arranged, and well adapted by virtue of its construction for successful operation under the conditions of use. A further object is to guard against blocking or breakage in event of the parts of the mechanism being out of proper relation when the door is operated. With these ends in view the invention comprises certain features of construction, arrangement andV combination, anembodiment of which will now be briefly described and the various aspects of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanyingdrawings illustrating the Said embodiment:

Figure l is a fragmentary top perspective view of a car opposite a landing door, Vshowingthe disposition and relative arrangement of the parts of the complete mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing the cooperative parts on the landing door and on the car;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing these parts in changed positions;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the cooperative door and car parts;

Fig. 5 is a detail enlarged view of a part of the car mechanism partly in vertical section and partly in elevation; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary inside elevation of the landing door, indicating the means for locking the door in two positions.

The elevator car is designated l, and a landing door 2. The latter carries a projection 3, which is preferably in the nature of a simple pin or stud extending a short distance into the elevator shaft from the top of the door and which hereinafter is termed in some of the claims the landing door element. f

Specification of Letters Patent.

`Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

Serial No. 16,930.

The mechanism on the car comprises a member or device 5 which is adapted to be shifted alternately in opposite directions by the action thereon of the landing door element in the door-opening and -closing movements, respectively. The said device is pivotally mounted as indicated at 4, and is provided with two angularly-spaced contact portions 6 and 6a, the former of which is engaged by the projection 3 on the door-opening movement and the latter on the doorclosing movement, as will readily be understood by reference to Figs. 2 and 3. I have devised a particularly advantageous construction for this shiftable device and shall now proceed to describe the same, though it is to be understood that various modifications are permissible from the standpoint of different aspects of the invention. The contact portions 6 and 6a are constituted by vertically disposed leaves arranged in diverging relation at 90o separation, as shown, or less.v The said leaves are'hinged by eyeportions 7 and 8, respectively,'on a vertical pintle constituting the pivot 4f, the said pintle being suitably supported in a sleeve 9 forming part of a bracket 10, which issecured by means indicated at ll'to the front face of the car at the top thereof. Pivoted on the saine pintle and resting on top of the sleeve 9 is a member l2 having rigid wings 13, which back up the leaves 6 and 6a, and against which the leaves are held by resilient means, such as a spring 14 coiled about the upper portion of the pintle and bearing at its opposite ends 15 against the inner faces of the leaves. Each of the members 6, 6a and 12 is capable of pivotal movement relative to the other two, but in normal operation these parts act as a rigid unit, since the thrust of the door yprojection 3 is always exerted against the inner faces'of the leaves. Should the parts be in improper relation, however, the leaves 6 and 6a being for example in the position shown in Fig. Sand the pin 3 then in the position shown in Fig. 2, an attempt to close the landing door would cause the pin to strike the back of the leaf 6; and, the leaf 6a then resting against the face of the bracket 10, the door could not be closed or breakage would result, were 'it not for the provision of means, for example such as above described, whereby the contact portions 6 and 6a are capable of relative yielding toward each other While rigidly confined as to movement away from each other. The condition indicated might arise if the operator When at a floor landing, With the door opened, Were to reach up and manually reverse the position of the device 5,v order to be able for some proper purpose to move his car by entering it from the landing, leaving the door open.' It may be here noted that the location of the shiftable` device at the top ot the car is of advantage in that it makes' the device accessible for manual op- Y eration if the necessity arises; While lon the other hand, access to this location is suHi'- ciently difficult to eliminate any likelihood of improper manipulation of the device duringy normal running and also to guard against mischievous tampering.

The means controlled by the device 5 for preventing or permitting starting of the car', according to the conditionl of the landing door, may be Widely varied. They preferably comprise dual'provisions, Whereby the car-controller is locked and a circuit also affected to render operation of the car impossible as long as the landing door opposite the car is open or unlocked. For purposes of illustration l have indicated an electrical controller 16 having a hand lever 17, Which may be confined in its mid-positiony by alock 18 rockable on a horizontal axis 19; The connections betWeen the device 5 and the controller Y lock include a link 20 pivotally jointed at'one end onfa pin 21, occupying an aperture 22 in the member 1,2', and at its other end pivotedi to a bell crank 23 at the far side of the car, from Which bell crank a link 24 descends to an arm 25 of the lock. The invention includes a specific improvement in respect to the circuit-controlling means, Which in the present instance is a rotary circular or cylindricaly member 2G suitably journaled in aboX 27 on top of the car. An arm 28 projects from .the rotary switch element through an opening in the boX and has slotted engagement at its outer end With the pin 21. ln this Way a simple and direct operation ofthe circuit-controller is secured. The part 26 may be understood to be of insulating material and carries one or more contact portions 29- and 30, vcoperating, respectively, With pairs of stationary contacts 31 andE 32; The contacts 31 are contained in a suitable circuit 33, Which When;

broken prevents-the operation of the car,

be freefor operation. The contacts 32' pertain to a circuit 34, WhichV may be the circuit ofa ioor lamp, as shoWn fory example-in my prior application Serialy Number 856,l22,y

filed August 10, 1914.

Means are provided for assisting-the device 5 andi the connected mechanism in completingtheir movement in one or both direcrecava? tions, and for holding them against displacement. In the particular preferred construction illustrated this is accomplished by pro- .they fillcrum. .With such an arrangement,

the Weight tends to complete the movement of the mechanism in either direction, since thefWeight `falrls `as @soon asit is carried past centerwand Willrurge the parts of the car mechanism even after VVthe Vdoor projection has `passed-,out of engagement With the rock device 5. On the other hand, in vieW of the fact that thel Weight off certain of the parts, moreespeally that ofi the vertical link 24, tends; to biasthecar mechanism inV one direction, they indicated: arrangement ofthe bell crank; and; Weight'may be suitably modified to conform to this condition.

Means are provided for -li-mitingand adjusting they throvv.v of' the Weight.v A stop lug 50, projecting from the aXis of the Weightcarrying arm, may befused through anaperture 51, in Which a bolt 52 passes carrying stop@ col-lars, or lock'nuts 53 and 54:. By adjusting these collars the throW of the bell crank carrying the Weight can; 'be determined,v i

Means are provided for obstructing the opening movement of the landing door by the operator in the, carfeXcept When the car is opposite the landing or Within a predetermined permissible distance. above or beloW the latter. This insures that thedoor projection 3 Will contact With the'leaves 6, 6, since thel door cannot be opened unless the car is brought to rest at a height Which brings. the Wings into operative relation to the cooperative member 3. Suchl means may be Widely varied, but in the particular construction shoWn it takes; the form of a vertical rod or guard 37, carried by and standing`v out from` the front of the car near the side thereof in position to bar movement of a door projection 38', except aspermtted by an inwardly offset or recessed portion. 39 of the guard. The said portion yis somewhat less invertical extent than theleaves 6, 6a, and is arranged so?, as toY come. opposite the-.projection 38 When the leaves 6, 6a are opposite the projection 3. It Will be manifest that a guard on the car to coperate-With a portion of the door in the manner indicated is not necessarily limited to the'particular type of mechanism herein disclosed `for preventing starting of the car from a landing When the door thereofis- Qpenand unlocked, since it maybe embodied in other s peciiically differentsafety systems depending for-theiraction upon the cooperation of contact parts on the car andat the landing, respectively, which parts-may engage with each other within a certain vertical range, outside of whichac cordingly, it is desirable to prevent opening of the door until the car be brought closer to theA landing. Another advantage ofV the guard is that it makes it impossible for passengers to enter or leave the car when the floor of the latter Vis atan unsafe distance froml the landing. 1

, As indicated in Fig. 6, the mechanism may be `used in conjunction with landing doors lwhich may be locked in two positions, that is to say, the full closed position and a slightly open position. Various means may be provided for this purpose, such, for eX- ample, as a vertically movable. locking rod 42 on each landing door, adaptedto coperate with two spaced locking lugs l43 and 44 at the top of the door casing.v When the door in closing carriesfthe upper end of the rod 42 Vpast the lug 44, the door is locked against reopening, though, ofcourse, it may be moved farther in the closing direction. Such a provision is ofadvantage in that it enables the operator to leavethe landing in safety before the door has become fully shut; and with such anv arrangement the device 5 is to be located ata suicientdistancefrom the leftshand side of the car as tophave its leaf 6 engaged and thrown` by the door' projection .at or about the moment when the latching end of the door-locking rod 42 rides beneath the lug 44.

While I havedescribed the. preferred embodiment of my presentlmechanism in detail, it will beunderstood that I am not limited tothe precise construction shown and that various changes,reversals and alteration's'in, form, proportion and arrangement may be made without departing from the in-V vention.` Y l Whatis claimed vas new is l. An elevator safety system, comprising a landing door element, suitable means on the` car for preventing starting thereof, and a device Vadapted to be shifted in opposite directions by said landing door element in the door-opening and -closing movements, respectively, to operate the said means on the car, said device comprising two contact portions coperative with the landing door element, and means permitting idle yielding of a portion if urged inthe wrong direction.

2. An elevator safety system,comprising a landing door element, suitable means on the car for preventing starting thereof, and a device adapted to be shifted'in L,opposite directions by said landing door` yelement in the door-opening and fclosing movements, respectively, to operate the said means on the car,.said device-comprising two contact portions cooperative with the. landing' door,

element, resilient means permitting relative yielding ofsaid portions toward each other, and rigid means limiting their relative movement away from each other.

3. An ,elevator safety system, comprising a landing door element; a device adapted to be shifted in opposite directions by said landing door elementon the door-opening and -closing movements,-respectively, said device comprising two spaced pivotal contact members, resilient means urging the same apart, and a third pivotal member limiting the relative movement of said two members away from each other; suitable means o-n the car for preventing starting thereof; and connections for operating said means from said third pivotal member. Y

4. In an elevator safety system,the combination with a landing door having a projection, a car, and ksuitable means for pre-l venting starting of thevlatter, of a device comprising a pair of separated co-aXially pivoted members adapted to be engaged by said projection on the door-opening and -closing movements, respectively, ,a third member pivoted co-axially with and independently of the other two and affordingv abutments limiting the degree of separation thereof, resilient means yieldingly holding the pair of members against said abutment, and suitable connections whereby said third pivoted member operates the said means for preventing starting of the car.

5. In anielevator safety system, the combination with a landing door and a projection operated thereby, of a car, a verticalpintle on the car, a pair of leaves hinged on said pintle forrengagement-by said projection, aespring urging said leaves apart, a third member mounted to turn on the pintle and having wings backing up said leaves, suitable means for preventing starting of the car, and connections between said third member and said means.

6. In an elevator safety system, the combination with a landing door element, and means adapted to be operated thereby to prevent or permit the starting of the car according to the condition of the door, of a device adapted to connect the landing door element with said means when the car is at alanding, said device comprising two vertically extending diverging hinged leaves, av

.nately' in opposite directions, mechanism connected with said device for preventing `of an inwardly projecting contact device mounted on the door, a mechanical controller lock on the car, a contact device.

pivoted onvthe car on a vertical axis' and comprising4 two vertically extending leaves disposed at an angley to each other` and adapted to be contacted by the door projection,- the one onl thev opening movement and the other on the closing movement, and a train of connections on: the car between said device and the controller lock, one of said leaves being spring-sustained so as to yield if encountered bythe door proj ectionduring the door-closing movement when the parts are in improper relation.

9'. In an elevatorsafetysystem, a landing doorelement, a device' pivotally mounted 'on the car shiftable alternately in opposite directionsby said element, a controller, a controller lock on the car, a transversely extending link connected with the said de-V vice, a vertically disposed: bell crank con-l nected with the outer end of 'said link, a'

vertical member extending fromksa-i'd bell crank Vto the controller" lock, and a weight on said bell crank to completethe move'- ment of the parts and prevent displacement, said link, bell crankV and vertical member being also carried by the car.

l0; InA anelevator safety system includingl a landingdoor, a car, having a controller at one side of the car and a mechanical lock Jfor the controller, mechanism forcontrolling said lock by thev opening and closing of the landing door comprising, in combination with asimple inward projection on the landing door, a device pivotally mounted on theI top of the car andI comprisingtwo"vertically eX-v tendingI angularly spaced leaves arranged to be contacted and moved't alternately by the landing'door projection in the door-opening and -closing movements, respectively, and connections extending from said device to onefside of the car andy thence downward to the controller lock.

11'. In an elevator safety system, the combination with a landing door having a projection, a car, and the car controller, of a pivotaldevi'ce'on the car having spaced contact portions whereby it is shiftabl'ev alternately in opposite directions by said proj ecl` tion, said portions beingyield'able relatively toeach other, a rotary circuit-controller con-Y mechanical lock fortlfref car' controller, and n connectionsv between said lock! and thefsaid device.

ing door,-

inward1 projection carried thereby', a vertically extenrlingniember on the adaptedgto be shifted' injopposite directions by Jhe door member on its-opening andclosfing movements, respectively, when the ear is within a certain i'erticalE range' thelandL ing, andf'suit'ablemeans connected with said car men'iber for preventing starting of l the' car, inv combination with a vertical gard on the car andi' a second inward projection on a diierent portion ofthe: door, the gaard having. a recess" the vertical dimension or.V which is materially* greaterthan said 'second proj ect-ion, the relation; and positions ofl this proj ectiony and recess lbeing-snob aslto permit opening' of the door whenI the car" is withinthe sai-d predetermined range, outside" of which rangev opening` of the door -i's'V prevented.

14:. In an' elevatorl safety system; the; c o'mbi'nation of a landing door' having an in'- ward projection,- a verticallyv extending de`V vice onthe car operable by' sai'd projection,

and comprising-a pair of hinged-l leaves oneI of which is spring-sustained so asi to` yield? if encontered bythe dbo'r projection difr-Y ing the door-closing movement when the parts are in improper' rela-tion, and' snitable'meanslcontrolledby said device for preventing start-jingl of the" car, combination with asecond inwardxprojgectien on a dif-A ferent part' of the landing door', and a g'uard on the ear having an openingeorresponding in vertical extentto said d'ev'ice and'f posi!- tioned to'L obstruct' movement of the' second door projection whenthe ir'stf projection is out of the operative rangewi'th relation` t-'ol the car device; n I

In testimony whereof, Ihave signed my name to this specication, in the presence of two subscribingV witnesses.' Y y Y WILLIAMS Ti; DUTNFRD.-

Witnesses: i

C FIEGEIJ.' *Ei Pf. Hermine.

Washington; lD: 0.

75 13. In an elevator safety-system, alfa1id2 

